Christmas in New York: The best things to do for a magical time this holiday season

The fabulous holiday icon of NYC, The Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a must-see for both locals and visitors during the holiday season, whether you’re visiting before ice-skating on The Rink at Rockefeller Center or just passing through.

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights wrap around the branches. It’s topped with a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and sparkles in 3 million crystals.

The tree lights up days on Wednesday, December 3 and stays on through mid-January. On Christmas Eve, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. 

Lightscape, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's gorgeous, after-dark illuminated spectacular promises a glittering winter wonderland where you'll feel like you're strolling through an enchanted forest. More than 1 million lights combine to form illuminated trail of art by local and international artists.

Don't miss the iconic Winter Cathedral, where you'll definitely want to snap a selfie. Plus, expect firefly fields, glowing bluebonnets, flocks of luminous birds and a reimagined Sea of Light.  

As always, a curated playlist of music brings the light art to life, and there will be food concessions along the trail that offering seasonal treats like hot cocoa, hot cider, and mulled wine as well as light bites, cookies and sweets.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, which runs from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026. This year’s show offers off-peak and peak pricing, ranging from $29-$44 for adults and $15 to $28 for kids.

On the day after Thanksgiving, the neighborhood of Dyker Heights undergoes a transformation, as residents along several blocks in this Brooklyn neighborhood festoon their homes with elaborate holiday decorations.

And we're not talking about a Christmas tree or a simple nativity scene: Among the kitschy pieces you might see are life-size reindeer, huge inflatable Santas and snowmen, Christmas carols blaring from loudspeakers and tens of thousands of lights.

See the lights from November 28 through New Year's Eve.

Bryant Park transforms into a winter wonderland each year with ice skating, hot drinks, a cozy lodge and a spectacular Christmas tree. 

While you're there admiring the decor, also check out holiday shops where you can check off everyone on your gift list. Even if you’re simply passing by this Christmas utopia, take a moment to grab some hot cocoa, sit back and admire the magic.

It runs from October 24, 2025 through March 1, 2026.

With incredible detail and dedication, local bakers whipped up gingerbread designs featuring everything from brownstones and Broadway to skyscrapers and subways as part of Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off 2025 at Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem.

Some more obscure icons find a home here too, including an adorable re-creation of Edgar Allan Poe’s cottage in the Bronx (complete with a black cat on the porch) and the historic Conference House in Staten Island. Go see how many landmarks you can name—and pick your favorite of the bunch for the people's choice competition now through January 19, 2026.

After a hiatus in 2024, the beloved Saks Fifth Avenue New York holiday light show will return with a reimagined spectacle this holiday season. Expect a dazzling state-of-the-art show where "the lights will dance to a curated medley of uplifting music, creating a luminous celebration of light and sound," Saks announced. 

The light show projects thousands of synchronized lights across the building's façade in time with festive music. The light-and-sound experience complements the store's six windows along Fifth Avenue. Each window display will bring enchanting New York City moments to life, from a snowy Central Park boat scene to a resplendent holiday tree.

The show returns on November 24 and plays daily. It repeats every few minutes after sunset until about 11pm. 

Turns out, the North Pole knows how to throw quite a party. Join in on the fun at Santa's Secret, a seductive speakeasy and immersive wonderland that's back in NYC for a fifth year. 

Here's what's on tap at this adults-only holiday extravaganza: Delightfully cheeky characters, including mischievous living toys, seductive gingerbread ladies, and the famed jacked lumberjack. The journey culminates at Santa's Secret Speakeasy, where guests will enjoy live music, themed cocktails and a dazzling variety show featuring burlesque, aerialists and jaw-dropping acts.

This year, the event is moving to a massive new location: 10 Columbus Circle in Midtown. Just don't let Santa party too hard—or how will he deliver all the presents with a hangover?!

The show runs from November 13 until December 31. Tickets start at $65/person.

In New York Botanical Garden's wildly popular diorama, more than a dozen model railway trains traverse an incredibly detailed New York City scene with 200 tiny buildings, including landmarks such as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall, made of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bark and berries.

Each year, artist Laura Busse Dolan and her team at Applied Imagination work on the awe-inspiring structures using plant materials to build "botanical architecture." It's been a beloved tradition since 1992. This year's model adds a botanical replica of the new Delacorte Theater in Central Park, surrounded by other park landmarks.

This year's holiday train show will take place from November 15 through January 11, 2026 at the Bronx destination. Also check out Holiday Train Nights, lively after-dark celebrations with seasonal cocktails and mocktails.

Festooned with more than 1,000 meticulously hand-folded paper ornaments, this year’s 13-foot-tall tree at the American Museum of Natural History is inspired by the theme "New Beginnings." The theme is a reference to new museum exhibition "Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs" and the approaching New Year. 

The design will celebrate the spectacular variety of species that evolved after an asteroid impact ended the age of dinosaurs some 66 million years ago. It'll even be topped with a golden asteroid! 

You can see the tree with museum admission starting on November 24, 2025. Find it in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor. 

Within Grand Central Terminal, find the New York Transit Museum's 21st annual Holiday Train Show, an ode to all kinds of locomotives. You'll feel positively giant while wandering around the 34-foot-long display, festooned with miniature versions of city landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Watch as Lionel model trains depart from a miniature replica of Grand Central. Then they travel over the river (the East River, to be exact) and through the wood to reach their final destination, the North Pole.

The Holiday Train Show will be on view at Grand Central Terminal through February 2026. The free show is open Monday-Friday, 10am-7:30pm; Saturday-Sunday, 10am-6pm; and closed major holidays. Find it in the shuttle passage on 42nd Street and Park Avenue, adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.

'Tis the season fors carol and cocoa, and you can do both at the 29th annual Holiday Lighting in Central Park. On Thursday, December 4 at 5:30pm, join your fellow revelers (and Santa!) at the park's Charles A. Dana Discovery Center to kick off an evening of carol singing, seasonal activities and, of course, hot chocolate. As is tradition, the festivities wrap up with the lighting of a flotilla of trees on the Harlem Meer. Extra tip: Print out this songsheet so you're prepared for the carols.

This tree lighting may not get the same pomp and circumstance as the Rockefeller Center tree lighting, but we think it's just as beautiful.

Take a break from Christmas shopping and check out the state-of-the-art holiday light display at The Shops at Columbus Circle. This year, the seasonal spectacle has been pumped up with 300,000 shimmering lights and 44 floating stars illuminating the entire complex in holiday cheer. Holiday Under the Stars runs from November 10 to January 3, 2026.

You’ll be so moved, you won’t even care that you maxed out your MasterCard getting Aunt Judy that back massager she’s been wanting. Color-changing stars will perform choreographed light shows every 30 minutes from 5pm to midnight, casting a kaleidoscope of color across the shopping center. Also look for illuminated stars at the 58th Street and 60th Street entrances and sparkling photo moments throughout the complex.  

It's free to visit, and there are plenty of shops and restaurants to stop by along the way.

Catch a free Broadway performance under the glittering holiday lights at Columbus Circle during Broadway Under the Stars. This series of free performances inside The Shops at Columbus Circle brings performers from some of the hottest shows right now for music and intimate conversations moderated by Broadway alumnus George Psomas.

Performances happen on Thursday evenings from 5-6pm on the second-floor stage. While you're there, enjoy the seasonal spectacle with 300,000 shimmering lights and 44 floating stars illuminating the entire complex in holiday cheer. 

Here's the full lineup:

• November 13: Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Death Becomes Her, & Juliet
• November 20: MAMMA MIA!, The Outsiders, Maybe Happy Ending
• December 4: The Lion King, Aladdin, Hell’s Kitchen
• December 11: SIX The Musical, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), The Queen of Versailles
• December 18: Operation Mincemeat, The Book of Mormon, Chicago

George Balanchine's magical 1954 production, set to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, includes the full New York City Ballet company, two casts of School of American Ballet students, scenery by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, costumes by Karinska and lighting by Mark Stanley, after Ronald Bates's original concept. 

The show is a magical occasion: Along with a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 to 40 feet, there's a snowstorm of blizzard proportions and a Mother Ginger with a nine-foot-wide skirt. In the end, however, Balanchine's choreography is what holds it all together. It's enchanting, and it never grows old. 

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.

Cirque du Soleil, famous for defying reality (and gravity), is returning to New York City this holiday season. Due to overwhelming success, their special first and only holiday show, "Twas the Night Before..." will return to The Theater at Madison Square Garden December 4-28.

Inspired by the classic poem "A Visit from Saint Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore, Cirque's story follows a jaded young girl who rediscovers the magic of the holidays. Directed by James Hadley, a 25-year veteran of circus productions and live theater, "Twas the Night Before..." combines classic Christmas spirit with jaw-dropping acrobatic stunts. 

No matter which side of it you fall on, the most festive drinking event in Gotham has to be SantaCon NYC. This major, mid-December celebration brings thousands of folks dressed up in red suits, elf hats and antlers to midtown bars for a daylong celebration.  

Hordes dress up for this boozy crawl on Saturday, December 13, from 10am-8pm, across Midtown. We've got the scoop on how to get in on the fun—or how to stay away from it.

Perhaps one of the most conveniently located holiday markets is the Grand Central Holiday Fair. Running from November 10 through December 24 at Vanderbilt Hall, the destination will highlight the work of 35 local food and craft vendors and small businesses known for their quality craftsmanship and products made within the state of New York or the U.S.

Goods will range from home décor and jewelry to abstract art and perfumes. This year, Uncommon Goods is back with a pop-up at the market with a hand-picked selection of imaginative gifts for kids, handmade jewelry and ornaments, small batch syrups and confections, and creatively designed finds for grillmasters, sports fans, book lovers and more. Also returning is the viral Inciardi Mini-Print Vending Machine with over 30 new prints, three new collections, five machines and other new merchandise. 

The Holiday Fair will operate seven days a week from 10am to 7pm Monday-Saturday; and 11am to 6pm on Sundays. The space will be closed for Thanksgiving and open on Christmas Eve from 10am-6pm. 

Train aficionados of all ages are certain to be transfixed by the scenic components of this show, featuring model trains, toy stations and miniatures from the Jerni Collection at The New York Historical. The dispaly illustrates the design evolution from the early 20th century to the era of World War II. 

Lighting and accompanying music make for an immersive experience on the first floor of the Upper West Side museum. This year, families can explore the objects on view with a special scavenger hunt and train-themed storytimes on select dates. 

The exhibit's on view from November 21 until February 22, 2026.

This annual event heralds the start of the holiday season. Harlem Holiday Lights is back for its 32nd year with holiday parade that will traverse down 125th Street on Tuesday, November 18 starting at 6pm. This will be the biggest parade yet with 20 lit floats and more than 40 designated watch areas—essentially a block party on wheels. Along the way, expect dozens of community activations, four toy giveaway zones, a canned food drive and performances by local musicians, dancers and seniors’ groups. UniverSoul Circus will also make an appearance before heading down to Coney Island for a performance there.

Austin McCormick and his risqué neo-Baroque dance-theater group Company XIV present a lavish erotic reimagining of the classic holiday tale, complete with circus performers, operatic singers and partial nudity. The word nutcracker has customarily conjured innocent wonder; now be ready to add glitter pasties, stripper poles and comically large stuffed penises to the toys in wonderland. Definitely leave the kids at home. 

Michael Cerveris, an expert at 19th-century glowering, stars as the miserly and humbug-bashing Ebenezer Scrooge in the returns of Jack Thorne's popular 2017 stage version of Charles Dickens's classic yuletide story. Director Matthew Warchus's 2019 Broadway production swept all four design categories (plus one for Best Score!) at that foreshortened season's Tony Awards; Thomas Caruso shares directing duties for its return engagement at the PAC in Lower Manhattan.

Framed perfectly inside the park's famous arch, Washington Square Park's beautiful tree is a sight to behold. It officially lights up on Thursday, December 11 (6-7pm), and all are invited to the festivities. The tree lighting ceremony includes carols by the Rob Susman Brass Quartet and vocalist Linseigh Green. Santa Claus himself has promised to appear, candy canes in hand, to lead the illumination countdown. 

If you miss the tree lighting, you can see the beautifully lit 45-foot tree throughout the holiday season, lit from 4pm-1am daily.

Also mark your calendar for Christmas Eve caroling on December 24 at 5pm. 

Jamaica, Queens' annual three-day celebration is back for its 11th year, running from December 5 through 7. Expect food vendors, an artisan holiday winter village, Christmas displays, the largest Christmas tree lighting in Queens on Friday night, a parade on Saturday, and toy giveaways on Saturday. 

The Parade on Rockaway—the biggest parade in the whole borough—will take place on Saturday, stretching from 130th Street to 143rd Street on Rockaway Boulevard. 

Started originally by ornithologist Frank Chapman as an alternative to the then-customary holiday bird hunt, the Christmas Bird Count is now the longest-running community science bird project in the country. There are counts at nearly 3,000 locations across the country, including one of the most well-known and historic counts, happening at Central Park on December 14.

This family-friendly and welcoming event offers a unique opportunity for participants, from bird lovers to those totally new to birding, to contribute to bird conservation efforts while enjoying nature and the beauty of one of New York City's most iconic locations. Data collected by participants over the years help ornithologists and conservation biologists study long-term bird populations and decide what conservation action is required to protect birds and the places they need. 

You can register to participate or volunteer for any of the two dozen counts happening around NYC here. 

The Bronx Zoo's sparkling seasonal outdoor celebration featuring animated lights and LED displays of animals from around the world is back. Expect the zoo to dazzle with millions of lights and hundreds wildlife lanterns spread across six lantern trails. 

Beloved favorites return, including the holiday train and Enchanted Sea, plus look for new additions such as snow tube slides, an illuminated ice-themed throne and virtual snowball throwing.

Holiday Lights will run at the Bronx Zoo on select dates from November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026. Pricing starts at $26.95 for kids under 13 and $41.95 for adults. 

If you're equal parts sugar fiend and architecture junkie, we may have just found your dream holiday destination. The Gingerbread City is bringing its winter magic and sweetness back to the Seaport for a free display from December 5–28 at 19 Fulton Street.

It's created by over 100 New York-based architects, engineers and designers, so you know these gingerbread creations are going to be immaculate. Expect to see city parks, brownstones and skyscrapers created out of cookies, icing and candy. Plus, there's a chance to learn how to make your own gingerbread creations.

Kids are welcome at this staging of the Mozart classic. It’s the perfect starter opera: Performed in English, this abridged version by Julie Taymor, the Tony Award–winning director of Broadway’s The Lion King, clocks in at less than two hours and features delightful costumes and sets, but it’s still a Met Opera production with some of the world’s finest performers.

If you want an extra special peek behind the curtain, mark your calendar for December 14 when families with tickets to the matinee performance are invited to experience the Met’s immersive Holiday Open House, with festive behind-the-scenes demonstrations by members of the Met’s backstage and artistic staff.

What's a better way to celebrate the holidays than with a drink at a palace? The Lotte New York Palace will re-open its annual outdoor bar on November 18—poised to be the ultimate destination for expertly crafted seasonal libations, classic favorites and non-alcoholic options for hotel guests and visitors alike. The bar will also serve holiday treats like hot chocolate, cookies and hot toddies. The bar is open Wednesday through Friday 3-9pm and on the weekends from noon to 7pm. 

While you're there, check out the Gingerbread Palace in the grand lobby. Created by the Lotte bakery team, the sweet salute to the building is made of 110 pounds of flour and fondant. 

Talk about shining bright! Two million twinkling white lights now adorn Hudson Yards for the shopping center's sixth annual holiday display. This year's seasonal illumination includes 115 miles of string lights, 725 evergreen trees dressed to create a gleaming forest and a massive 32-foot hot air balloon centerpiece suspended in The Great Room of The Shops & Restaurants. 

New this year, look for a series of ten 11-foot-tall toy soldier statues, as well as photo opps with Santa's sleigh. On December 15, don’t miss the Hanukkah Menorah lighting celebration in partnership with the local Chabad of Midtown.

In addition to the awe-inspiring light display indoors and outdoors at the Vessel, there are plenty of stores to shop for everyone on your list (including yourself). The lights will be up through January 7, 2026. 

Make your own holiday wreath at these cozy and and cute wreath-making workshops in Brooklyn on Saturday, December 6 or Sunday December 7. These hands-on workshop will teach you how to craft your own holiday wreath using lush, fragrant winter greens with seasonal accents. The team at LilyFête will offer easy-to-follow techniques that blend classic wreath-making with a modern aesthetic, all while you snack on their signature charcuterie spread and sip on beverages.

All materials are included in the price and you'll get to take home your masterpiece once you're done! The Saturday event runs 5pm to 6:30pm and Sunday 3pm to 4:30pm at their Bed-Stuy studio (544 Park Avenue, Studio #243B). Tickets are on sale now for $125 per person. 

A brand new double-decker carousel is spinning holiday cheer throughout the season in Greeley Square at 33rd Street and Broadway, offering rides through January 6, 2026. The two-story swirl of lights, music and storybook creatures spins from 10am to 10pm daily, offering plenty of opportunities to catch a ride before, during or after your holiday shopping. Tickets cost $7/person.

Speaking of shopping: the carousel will be in the perfect location. It will sit just steps from Macy’s Herald Square, where the holidays are already in full swing.

John Kevin Jones goes to the Dickens in this one-hour account of the novelist's classic holiday ghost story, adapted with director Rhonda Dodd. The Merchant's House Museum, formerly the home of a wealthy 19th-century family, provides an atmospheric candlelit setting for Jones's 13th annual engagement. This year, Jones alternates performances with Vince Gatton. Select performances include an optional reception at which the audience sips mulled wine and Jones recites Clement Moore's “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”

Cruise around Manhattan on a yacht decked out for the holidays with Classic Harbor Line's themed cruises. The mahogany-trimmed 1920s-style Manhattan II and Northern Lights motor yachts are trimmed in seasonal decor and ready to sail.

Tour offerings include a holiday brunch cruise, a holiday lights tour, a holiday jazz cruise with a live band, and a carols cruise with traditional hymns. Prices range from $106-$148/adult, depending on the tour option.

No matter which cruise you pick, you'll be treated to spectacular skyline views within the glass observatory of the yachts. Don't worry, the boats are heated, so you can enjoy the view without the chill. If you want to brave the winter air, you're welcome to venture to the open bow for truly sweeping city views. 

Each group gets their own elegant table where you can enjoy the cruise with your loved ones and take plenty of photos. A mug of hot chocolate is included with each ticket, spiked if desired, with additional beverages available for purchase.

Random Access Theatre’s boozy-geeky Drunk Texts series muddles classical texts—or modern ones reimagined as classical—into a cocktail of drinking games, improv and audience interaction, in which the audiences chooses which thespians take shots. Now the gang toasts the holiday season with its highly spirited annual version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. 

The Paley Center for Media's annual seasonal spectacular is back for another holiday season: PaleyLand will run through Saturday, January 4 at the midtown museum with jolly joy for revelers young and old.

Along with free hot cocoa and holiday treats, attendees can enjoy five floors of merriment, including photo opportunities with Santa; a magical train display with hot chocolate stations; a stunning menorah display which serves as a perfect background for Hanukkah photos; giveaways, arts and crafts; screenings of holiday classics and family favorite programs; meet-and-greets with classic holiday characters like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hermey the Elf and the Abominable Snow Monster, plus Chase and Sky from PAW Patrol. Other attractions include the PaleyGX Studio featuring popular video games and VR titles available. 

Tickets are now on sale for $21.50. You can view the full schedule and purchase tickets here.

Get into the holiday spirit with The New York Pops' annual holiday concert at Carnegie Hall. This year's concert, "A Place Called Home," will feature Broadway and television sensation Megan Hilty with the acclaimed Essential Voices USA choir.  Two joyous evenings promise to enchant audiences with holiday classics, spirited carols and heartwarming performances that capture the magic of the holidays inside an iconic New York City destination.

The performances will take place on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at 8pm in Carnegie Hall (57th Street and 7th Ave). Tickets are on sale here. 

The award-winning Young People's Chorus of NYC (YPC) invites audiences to experience the magic and joy of the holidays when over 600 young voices fill Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall for the group's annual winter concert, "A Very Merry New York," on Sunday, December 7 at 5pm. This tradition brings together choristers from every borough of New York City in a festive program blending beloved holiday classics, vibrant world music and imaginative new arrangements. 

This year features Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque; selections from Samuel Adler's Flames of Freedom; the Nigerian holiday anthem "Betelehemu;" and seasonal favorites including Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, "My Favorite Things," and contemporary classics such as "Little Saint Nick," and "Underneath the Tree." Highlights also include the playful "Puppy for Hanukkah," a vibrant Ose Shalom complete with a bottle dance, and YPC's beloved Merriest Medley, leading into a hall wide holiday sing-a-long.

Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased online here or by visiting the Lincoln Center Box Office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza. VIP tickets include premium concert seating and an invitation to YPC’s festive pre-concert reception. For more information on VIP tickets contact rsvp@ypc.org.

Columbus Circle has always known how to get festive, but this year it’s leveling up: the mall’s fourth floor is morphing into a full-blown North Pole playground, complete with passport stamps, a Gingerbread Tower race and, yes, an audience with the big guy in red. Passport to Santa lands at The Shops at Columbus Circle from November 15 through December 31 and it’s aiming to be catnip for every kid and grown-up who still gets a little emotional when the tree lights flip on.

This is not your average “sit on Santa’s lap, smile, leave with a candy cane” moment. Guests will spend about two hours hopping through themed “countries” of holiday cheer, collecting stamps in a festive passport along the way. The itinerary includes signing the Naughty or Nice list with Mrs. Claus (be honest), building toys in Santa’s Workshop like a real North Pole intern, training with Rudolph, test-your-strength challenges in Nutcracker Kingdom and a gingerbread competition. Tickets start at $35.

The Queen of Christmas is decking the halls once again. Following a wildly successful debut, Mariah Carey’s Holiday Bar is making its grand return this season, bigger, sparklier and even more “Mariah” than before. New Yorkers will once again get to sip, sing and sparkle at the pop-up, opening November 14 at the bar inside the new hotel UNTITLED at 3 Freeman Alley on the Lower East Side.

After taking over midtown last year, the glitter-filled experience is heading downtown this season. Expect wall-to-wall holiday décor, Mariah-themed cocktails (naturally featuring her Black Irish cream) and enough glitter to make Frosty blush. Secure your tickets via Bucket Listers.

You might mistake her for a lost rodeo clown, but superstar drag artist Dina Martina is a unique and hilarious genius. She blends the traditional elements of a drag show—singing (sort of), dancing (in a way), jokes and stories (stream of consciousness)—into an intoxicating cocktail of demented glee. Her annual Christmas show features "overburdened costumes" and accompanist Chris Jeffries. The Dina experience is hard to describe and even harder to forget. Don't miss out.

Choreographer David Parker and his Bang Group reprise their neovaudevillian version of The Nutcracker, a comedic deconstruction of the holiday classic that mixes tap, ballet, contemporary dance, disco and bubble-wrap stomping. Each performance is followed by a Winter Wonderland Afterparty that includes hot chocolate, sweets, photo ops and a tap-dancing station.

NYC is packed with holiday markets every fall with holiday spirit and unique gifts. While fancy Christmas window displays may entice you, NYC's holiday markets offer a chance to shop local. With everything from clothing to holiday ornaments to artwork, there's something for everybody on your holiday shopping list.

Shopping for the perfect gift doesn't have to be stressful; make it fun at these holiday markets.

Mrs. Claus, Vixen and some elves search set out on a quest to find Christmas spirit in New York City in a raunchy holiday show—with drag queens, puppets, dirty jokes and dirty dancing—directed and choreographed by burlesque artist Sassie LeFay and music directed by Stephen Murphy. Expect more naughtiness than niceness; something tells us there will be a lot of unwrapping involved. 

Spend an evening at this variety show featuring comedians sharing their joy in standing out. Comedian Lauren LoGiudice knows that being different can be tough, and that's why she's hosting her acclaimed Misfit Variety Show on December 3 at Brooklyn Art Haus to kick off the holiday season with a night of irreverent comedy and heartfelt connection. 

"The holidays amplify everything — the pressure to belong, the ache of difference, the yearning for connection," LoGiudice says. "We need spaces that honor the complex, messy reality of who we actually are."

What sets the Misfit Variety Show apart is its ability to transform personal discomfort into collective celebration. When audience members share their anonymous stories of awkwardness and alienation, the resulting laughter becomes a form of group therapy. "It's a space where everyone from the GenZ barista to the Boomer accountant are welcome to be appreciated for their uniqueness," as event organizers say.

The show features standup comedy, storytelling, and some character work. In addition to LoGiudice, the lineup includes Carmen Lynch, Ethan & Gigi, Jackson Sturkey, Tom Achilles, Lexi Lewis, and DJ AIROS.

New York nightlife personality and comedian Dominic Pupa—who you may know from his one-man shows like Gypsies, Tramps & Me, Cherstruck and Surprising No One—returns to The Cutting Room (44 E 32d St) with his annual holiday show, Dom We Now Our Gay Apparel.

Expect "pop culture roasting with holiday music parodies that will ruin the Christmas classics for you forever." Touring cities like Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, this spunky and spirited show will make its way to New York City on Saturday, December 13. 

This December, House of Yes is decking the halls with the return of its annual holiday fever dream: The Xmas Spectacular: The Nightmare Before Twinkmas. Now in its (un)lucky 13th year, the Bushwick Xmas Spectacular has made itself known as NYC's most outrageous, heartfelt and hilariously unhinged holiday tradition.

This year's tale follows Twinkletoes, Santa's once-favorite elf who turns 30 and tragically loses his sparkle. He's exiled to the underworld for aging out of cuteness by Veronica, a new holiday villain hell-bent on plunging the universe into mayhem. With the help of a ragtag team of queer rebels, glittery demons and off-brand Christmas spirits, Twinkletoes embarks on a magical quest to win back Santa's love, while also learning to love himself. 

Expect over-the-top costumes and outrageous dance numbers with a dash of trauma and a ton of joy, plus an all-star cast of Bushwick nightlife icons, drag royalty, aerial angels and dance-floor demons. 

The show runs from on select dates from December 3 to December 21 at the House of Yes (2 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn). You can purchase your tickets here. 

Now in its 22th iteration, Charles Rice-González's holiday play, which subverts both The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol, imagines a queer Latino couple caught in a journey through time one trippy Christmas eve. Witness ’80s flashbacks, Martha Stewart dinner parties and plenty of angelic divas to light the way. Gama Valle directs this year's edition, which features Joyah Dominique, Vasilios León, Juan Cálix, SkittLeZ Ortiz and Jesse Vega.

Sure, you've heard of wine pairings. But what about books and burlesque pairings?

During this holiday-themed show at Caveat on Saturday, December 13, award-winning authors will read excerpts from their new books. Then, a burlesque or drag performer will present a spectacular new act they created that was inspired by the book pairing. 

This literary evening of "lore and allure" boasts an excellent lineup featuring: Eshani Surya's debut novel Ravishing paired with a performance by Queensinera; debut novel The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes as interpreted by Professor M.; a perfomance by Trinity Starlight coupled with Lauren Morrow's debut novel Little Movements; a reading of Elissa Altman's nonfiction book Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create paired with Fancy Feast; and Calamity Chang's take on Peter J. Kim's Instant Ramen Kitchen cookbook. The show's produced and hosted by Fortune Cookie.

Local bookstore Book Club Bar (197 East 3rd Street) will sell signed copies of all the books featured at the show.

Time Out tip: Tickets go fast for this show, but if it sells out, there will be a waitlist at the door. There's also a livestream option.

Two of RuPaul's Drag Race's grandest dames, Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme, deck Town Hall in boughs of holly, serving nog till you gag in this now-annual holiday camp fest. These are no Instagram queens, but bona fide stage pros of the old school. Expect plenty of musical comedy and spiked punchlines. 

Looking for Hanukkah events? We've got you covered with our guide to the best events for the festival of lights. The festivities include menorah lightings, musical performances, a comedy show and some sweet treats.

This holiday concert, A Goyishe Christmas to You!, features favorite Yuletide tunes (performed with a twist) and specialty material by Jewish composers. The December 10 show includes songs suggesting a variety of Jewish approaches to the Christmas hullabaloo, as well as classics like "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland," plus Yiddish versions of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside." 

The show's presented by The New York Festival of Song and led by Director Steven Blier. Featured peformers include singers Lauren Worsham, Donna Breitzer, Rebecca Jo Leob, Alex Mansoori, Joshua Jeremiah and Cantor Joshua Breitzer. Steven Blier joins as pianist and host, alongside clarinetist Alan R. Kay. 

A Goyish Christmas to You! will begin at 9pm in Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center (129 West 67th Street). Tickets start at $45 for adults and $10 for students. 

Experience New York City's strangest holiday stories on a walk through Lower Manhattan with "The Dark Christmas Tour" presented by Purefinder New York. The tour begins in the daylight and ends as the city enters dusk as you explore how colonial faith, immigration tradition and urban unrest shaped the city's idea of Christmas, moving from sacred ritual to civic holiday and eventually to spectacle and commerce. 

With your guide, you can explore The Church in the Fort, the place where St. Nicholas first arrived in New Amsterdam and faith stood beside fear on the edge of empire. Also learn about the holiday riots where winter festivities would spill onto the streets and the city struggled to contain its own cheer; a Methodists congregation caught between devotion, discipline and the contradictions of goodwill; and how imagination turned old legends into the city's most enduring holiday myths.

All tours are 90 minutes long and span one mile, starting at the meeting point by The National Museum of the American Indian (One Bowling Green) and ending at City Hall Park. 

Celebrate Kwanzaa this year with the Verses of Unity Celebration at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. On Sunday, December 28 and Monday, December 29, visitors can honor the seven principles of Kwanzaa through creativity and community with activities like Painting With Corn, a collaborative Kwanzaa mural, an interactive concert and dance program with Asase Yaa. Also check out Prints of Wisdom: Adinkra Art for kids to discover traditional Ghanaian Adinkra symbols and create their own prints celebrating kindness, strength and love. 

All events will take place on the first floor of the Children's Museum of Manhattan. View the full schedule and more details here. 

Caleb Teicher swings back to the Joyce with a holiday edition of their exuberant show, a partly improvisational celebration of the Lindy Hop as re-imagined by Teicher and collaborators Evita Arce, LaTasha Barnes, Nathan Bugh and big-band leader Eyal Vilner. Audience members can join the fun onstage in the finale.

Brooklyn Ballet's take on The Nutcracker, choreographed by artistic director Lynn Parkerson, emphasizes cultural and artistic diversity. Alongside sequences that hew to the classic 19th-century tradition are interludes featuring street dance, flamenco, belly dancing, Chinese dance, hoop dance, hip-hop and the Hopak, a traditional Ukrainian dance.

This holiday season, head 45 minutes north of Grand Central and be transported to a winter wonderland at Mount Vernon's Christmas in America at American Christmas HQ, a 12,000 square feet store full of holiday décor, family-friendly magic and delight.

With experience as a massive Christmas store, the folks here know how to put on an epic holiday display. This year's walk-through experience promises giant nutcrackers, Santas, reindeer, lush garlands, thousands of twinkling lights, towering trees, sparkling wreaths and walls of ornaments—it's not only fun to look it, it also makes for beautiful photos. In years past, the experience was called Holiday Lane, and it charged an admission fee, but this year's newly named event is totally free to attend. 

Take your own NYC walking tour and stop by to see the lights at Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and more. Get ready to “ooh” and “ahh” at these landmarks and snap some photos of the most picturesque holiday light displays during the holiday season.

This place takes the holidays to the extreme by stringing up thousands of lights, ornaments and garlands throughout its snug interior. Marvel at all the shiny things, then indulge in some hearty sausages and German brews.